The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-09
UTAH AS A STATE
The Memorial Adopted in Con-
vention Yesterday.
FULL TEXT OF THE DOCUMENT.
A Few Facts Briefly, but Loudly Pre-
sented-The Pledge Indus
tries and Wealth
I'LL TEXT OF THE DOCUMENT.

AT 1920 p. m yesterday the Copsti
tutional Convention again convened.
President Game called the convention
to order, when thirty-eight members
answered to roll call Prayer hy Hon
Ward E. Pack, of Summit tounty.
Minutes of Fridays session read and
approved.
Mr.. Hammond, president OF the
executive session, reported that the
memorial had been amended, anG
recommended that it be read and passed
as amended.
The memorial was then read by the
secretary. 1t is as follows:
MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS-.
To the President, and the Senate ana
House of Representatives. of the
United States of america IN Con-
qreSS assembled:
GENTLEMEN: For the fifth time the
people of Utah present to your honor
able body a constitution providing for
a republican form of government, and
respectfully ask admission into the
Union as free and sovereign State.
Your memorialists are delegates IN a
Constitutional Convention, chosen by
the people of this Territory in mass
meetings to which all citizens of
every party were publicly invited.
The constitution presented herewith
was framed by your memorialistS with
a desire to effect political settlement
OF the questions which have heretofore
interposed as the sole objections when
Utah has applied for the rights and
privileges of statehood.
Under recent acts OF Congress, no
person practicing. polygamy can vote
or hold office in this Territory. Your
memorlalistS are registered voters, and
the Constitution which they adopted
on the seventh day of July, 1887, was
ratified at the general election, August
LIST, 1887, by popular legal vote of 49,
1875, only 502 voting against it. TIE
total number of votes cast at the same
election for precinct and county Of
| fcers and members of the legiS-
lative assembly, was 1918. This
shows balance of 2,705, who
refrained from voting on this ques-
ton; the voters of the minority party
having been so directed, openly, by
their political leaders, who dO not
favor any movement for the removal
of those disabilities which are COM
mon to the the Territorial system, I'M
less likely to be specially favorable to
them.
The number Of the voting popula-
ton has been considerably reduced by
the operations of congressional stat
utes. The act of March 22d, 1882,
disfranchised all polYgamists. The
act of March 8, 1887, excluded all wo-
men from the polls. The test oath pres
cribed by the same law was so dis
tasteful to many persons Of all classes
who were otherwise qualified, that
they abstained from registration. And,
as only regiSteredvoterSc could cast their
ballots at the general election, for
or against the Constitution framed by
your memorialistS, the total vote in
its favor was, under the Circum-
stances; remarkably large.
The people who have adopted and
ratified this Constitution are law
abiding citizens of the United States.
They have not violated any law of Con-
gress. The special provisions they have
framed in reference 10 practices con-
demned by the popular voice, were
made in good faith and so WOrded that
they are practically unrepealable. In
these Congress has not imposed IN
usual requirements upon new State,
but the people have placed these re-
strictions upon themselves in order to
meet prevailing objections and secure
political harmony with the existing
States. In doing this they have but
exercised a reserved and constitu-
tionaI right. If Utah shall be admitted
into the Union, these provisions will
be strictly and fairly enforced.
Your memorialiStS have no hesitation
in stating that almost the entire pop
ulatien of Utah are DESTROYS of be-
coming fully identified as State with
the institutions of this great republic,
and of takingpart in national affairs
as loyal and peaceable citizens. They
have demonstrated their fitness for the
duties, responsibilities and privileges
of statehood. They are thrifty, tenn
perate, industrious, Intelligent and
progressive. They form a vigorous,
stable and permanent community, out
of debt and ready to move forward in
step with the existing States.
The Territory has population of
not less than two hundred thousand.
He1 wealth, exclusive OF mines, which
are untaxed and represent unknown
millions, aggregates not less
than one hundred and fifty mil
non NOlldIS. 1GI ICSOulCoSy plO-
ducts, interests and prospects are
conceded by all to be amply sufficient
to sustain state government, and
have so frequently been presented to
Congress and the nation, with Statis-
tics, that we deem it unnecessary to
detail them in this memorial.
TIE soil, irrigated by mountain
streams diverted through canals and
bitches over large areas once desert,
brings forth grain and fruit in rich
abundance. Cattle and sheep roam
upon q thousand hills and sup
ply both home and foreign
markets. Her swoelen and other
manufactures have become famous
for their honest and useful products.
Factories and workshops supply labor
to skilled and common artisans, who
are content with reasonable wages,
and among whom strikes and
trouble with capital have hither-
to been unknown. The necessities and
many OF the luXuries of life are abund-
ant and cheap. Minerals of all kinds
abound within her borders and the
mining output aggregates from ST.
600, 900 to $40, 900, 900 annually. Apart
from the precious metals, there are
valuable deposits so varied in char
acter and immense in quantity